Unraveling Positive Emotion Regulation Across The Lifespan [Seed Funding]
Which processes drive positive emotion regulation across the lifespan? Although there is an abundance of research on how people regulate their negative emotions, there is a paucity of research on positive emotion regulation. Yet, positive emotion regulation may play a critical role in the development of emotional disorders and well-being. This project will chart new territory by addressing four critical limitations that mark current research in this field to advance both theory and interventions to increase well-being across the lifespan.
Using experience sampling methodology in samples of adolescents and older adults compared to younger adults, this project comprehensively investigates how emotion goals are associated with positive emotion regulation strategy selection in daily life, and how this relates to well-being and emotional disorders. Further, as a large part of positive emotion regulation takes place in social contexts, we will explore whether the relationship between emotion goals, the use of emotion regulation strategies and positive emotions is different for intra- versus interpersonal emotion regulation strategies. As developmental theories and experimental and questionnaire studies suggest, there are likely developmental differences in these emotion regulation processes. We will extend this research by exploring these potential developmental differences in daily life.
Research Team
- Dr. Eeske van Roekel is a developmental psychologist and co-director of the Tilburg Experience Sampling Center. She has expertise on socio-emotional development in adolescents, with a particular focus on positive emotions and well-being.
- Dr. Jonas Everaertis a clinical psychologist. His research focuses on the cognitive, affective, and social risk factors for psychopathology. He is an expert in negative emotion regulation, with a particular focus on emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety.
- Dr. Nicola Ballhausen is a developmental psychologist and an expert in successful aging. She has conducted and published multiple studies on aging, among others on stress effects in aging.
Cross-cutting themes
The Herbert Simon Research Institute for Health, Well-being, and Adaptiveness is a research center devoted to carrying out excellent, state of the art research in order to contribute to healthy and resilient people. We have selected three themes, which involve the collaboration between various Departments and address actual themes in need of both fundamental and applied research.